Secular Coalition hires a GOP head

If you ask most secularists, they’ll admit that, politically speaking, they lean left of center. Which is why it caused a few double takes when The Secular Coalition for America announced the hire of a — gasp! — Republican as its new executive director.

And not just any Republican: Edwina Rogers is a well-connected lobbyist whose resume includes stints at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and in the office of then–Majority Leader Trent Lott.

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“The movement has been a little bit insular in mainly consisting of folks that are involved in the Democrat Party or would be considered liberals,” Rogers told POLITICO. “They’re interested in going beyond their traditional reach. That’s why we think it’s new.”

From the way both Rogers and the Coalition talk, it’s clear that he was picked with one mission in mind: Get things done. The Coalition has affiliates in only two states, Alabama and Arizona; Rogers says they’ll be up and running in 50 states by the end of the year.

A Coalition press release touts Rogers’ “impressive qualifications needed to help catapult the Coalition into the future,” her “experience to help harness the collective voices of the millions of secular Americans into a powerful constituency,” “experience that is unsurpassed” and “her ability to reach across the aisle.”

“This is a bipartisan issue,” said Rogers. “There is no reason that this issue should be owned or controlled by one party or the other. And I think that the leadership in the movement has now realized that.”

As for how her friends in Washington’s elite Republican circles reacted to her new gig, Rogers said the feedback has been “extremely positive.”

“The majority of Republicans just haven’t thought about” secularism, said Rogers. “They were probably a little like me, a little laissez-faire, that they didn’t see it as a problem because the country is pretty secular.… There are still areas that need improvement, of course.”

Rogers is no stranger to taking on unexpected gigs: She once appeared on “Real Housewives of D.C.” and caught some flak for once wrapping presents in $1 bills.